Summary

Name:

421: Multiple Alignment Puzzle

Status:

Closed

Created:

05/13/2011

Points:

100

Expired:

05/22/2011 - 03:00

Difficulty:

Intermediate

Description:

This unsolved protein has 10 close homologs that we are giving to you as templates. Try them out using the alignment tool. Since you have 10 templates to try out we're giving you an extra day to work on this puzzle. Make sure to try Intro Puzzles 5-1 to 5-3 if you aren't familiar with the Alignment Tool. Alignment Tool help can be found here: http://foldit.wikia.com/wiki/Alignment_Tool.

Hopefully a reasonably accurate paraphrase of bits from research findings from Dae-Joong Kang (BBA 2007) and Jason M. Ridlon (Anaerobe 2009)
Clostridium scindens VPI 12708 (formerly known as Eubacterium sp. Strain VPI 12708) is a human faecal isolate working in the bile acid processing pathway (7-dehdroxylation), the clean up after the enterohepatic circulation.

This beastie lives in an anaerobic environment and loves being cultured in brain heart infusion (BHI) broth :-)

Humans livers, unlike rodent livers, are unable to process secondary bile acids. So secondary bile acids can accumulate to high levels in some people; there is evidence that they promote colon cancer and cholesterol gallstone disease, and are strong signalling molecules regulating other processes.

'Therefore, understanding the molecular biology and ecology of bile acid metabolism in the colon is of importance to human health and disease as the gut flora can control the bile acid pool composition.' (Ridlon).